Ohio voters reject proposal to raise bar for fall abortion referendum

Ohio residents on Tuesday voted down Issue 1, which would have increased the percentage of votes needed to pass changes to the state constitution from a simple majority to 60 percent. Pro-life advocates and Republican lawmakers supported the ballot measure. The change would have made it more difficult for voters to pass a proposal in November that aims to enshrine abortion access into Ohio’s constitution. A state law protecting babies after six weeks of pregnancy is currently on hold pending judicial review.

What is the status of pro-life laws in other states? The Utah Supreme Court on Tuesday considered a lower court’s decision to suspend a law protecting nearly all unborn babies. A district court in Kansas on Tuesday heard arguments from abortion providers who are challenging a law aimed at protecting babies from abortion-inducing drugs. The Kansas providers also challenged state restrictions that prevent anyone from performing an abortion until 24 hours after providing a woman with state-mandated information about the procedure. The two courts did not rule in either case Tuesday.

Dig deeper: Read Leah Savas’ report in Vitals about the special election in Ohio.